“If the desire is sincere, there is will to work hard, want to acquire knowledge, capacity to reach a decision, the person can scale all heights-Maharshi Valmiki exemplified it.”

BJP National President Shri Amit Shah addressed party workers on the occasion of Maharshi Valmiki’s Jayanti at the party’s central Headquarters on 15 October 2016 in New Delhi. Speaking on the occasion he appealed to the people to inculcate the values propounded by Maharshi Valmiki through his life.

Shri Amit Shah said, “Today on the occasion of Sharad Purnima (autumn full moon) the whole of India pays homage to the Maharshi Valmiki”. Because of the epic of Ramayana, Shri Shah said, Maharshi Valmiki is known in all households. “The epic of Ramayana is not a eulogy of Lord Rama; rather it is the first message of greatness of the Indian culture to the world,” he said.

How an ideal life should be, how an ideal devotee ought to be, how an ideal king must be, how an ideal son ought to be, how an ideal father should be, how an ideal brother must be, how an ideal husband should be and how an ideal mother should be and how an ideal wife should be – Maharshi Valmiki created all these examples through the characters of one epic. Through the epic of Ramayana, the greatest message that Maharshi Valmiki gave to the world was that truth wins finally, no matter how mighty, powerful and clever falsehood is, Shri Shah said.
The BJP president said, “If the desire is sincere, there is will to work hard, want to acquire knowledge, capacity to reach a decision, the person can scale all heights-Maharshi Valmiki exemplified it.” Such a profound change in one’s life and thoughts due to an incident of a moment in the life of a great soul is a story that has not been told adequately, highlighting its implications, to the youth, he said. How much of sensibility and wisdom must have been inherent in the man that a sentence, an incident transformed him into a great sage, Shri Shah said. Everybody in society, he said, regardless of which community he belongs to, “and that includes me”, can seek inspiration from Maharshi Valmiki to rise higher.

Shri Shah said that the example of Maharshi Valmiki, who worked for social harmony and uplift of Dalits without seeking publicity, was unparalleled. He said that when saints and thinkers begin reciting the Ramayana with a tribute paid first to Maharshi Valmiki, they do not think what caste he belonged to; it is his virtues and knowledge that has always been revered.

Shri Shah said that this showed that harmony was at the heart of Indian society and its pristine ethos. That all are equal needs no mention; it is an integral part of India’s culture, he said.

Today, nobody needs to lead a life ridden with guilt, accepting ill-treatment, the BJP president said, adding, “The Constitution made by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar gave equal rights to all citizens of the country and equal opportunities to all to rise in life.” The Modi government that the people are witnessing today, he said, has worked the most for Dalits, backward classes, tribal people and the poor, and added, “Look at the website of any ministry; the first five schemes would be dedicated to the poor, Dalits, the exploited and the backward.” He gave the example of the Ministry of Petroleum that had nothing to do with Dalits, backward classes, tribal people and the poor before this government assumed office, Shri Shah said. “Through the Ujjwala scheme when Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi made LPG connections reach 5 crore poor households, he linked this ministry to the poor as well,” the BJP president said. Delineating various schemes of the central government, he said that Dalits, Adivasis, the backward, the poor and the youth are at the centre of every scheme of the BJP government.

Shri Shah said, “When the Prime Minister in his Independence Day speech from Red Fort appeals to the banks to seek out the Dalit youth to help make themselves self-sufficient, it is a clear sign of change in the style of governance India has witnessed so far.” Journeying continually on this path, he said, the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi and Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar of creating a glorious and prosperous society can be realized.
Greeting the people of the country on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Maharshi Valmiki and autumnal full moon, the BJP president said, “May the epic Ramayana composed by Maharshi Valmiki always remain a source of inspiration for us, on the basis of which we can create a great and glorious society. This is our wish.”

He felicitated several eminent personalities from the Valmiki society on this occasion. Those present at the venue were the BJP’s National General Secretary (Organization) Shri Ram Lal, the Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Thavar Chand Gahlot, Shri Satyanarayan Jatiya, Shri Bizay Sonkar Shastri, president of the Scheduled Castes Morcha Shri Dushyant Gautam and several eminent personalities from the Valmiki community. 